NBA star facing felony charges

Allen Iverson, one of the NBA's most electrifying players, is not allowed to leave his mansion until Tuesday when he is due to surrender to Philadelphia police on multiple felony charges stemming from an incident in which he allegedly threatened two men while looking for his wife.

The Philadelphia district attorney's office said Thursday that Iverson, 27, an All-Star guard for the 76ers, will be charged with four felony counts involving criminal trespass, criminal conspiracy and a state gun violation, as well as misdemeanors such as simple assault, terroristic threats and various weapons offenses.

The charges stem from a July 3 incident in which Iverson allegedly forced his way into a cousin's apartment with a gun and threatened two men while looking for his wife.

Earlier in the day he had ordered his wife, Tawanna, to leave their suburban Philadelphia mansion after an argument, according to a 911 tape obtained by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

If convicted of all charges, Iverson faces a maximum 70 years in prison. Law enforcement experts called that scenario unlikely.

But the immediate on-court future of the league's reigning scoring champion and 2000-01 most valuable player is in doubt.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said Iverson will surrender to police Tuesday after his lawyer, noted criminal defense attorney Richard Sprague, returns from vacation. Iverson must remain inside his home until then.

"If Iverson is seen on the street or out partying, we will arrest him," Johnson said.

Said District Attorney Lynne Abraham: "I don't expect Mr. Iverson will be treated any different than anyone else."

On Wednesday a spokesman for Philadelphia Mayor John Street had expressed skepticism about the case, but Abraham said she had total confidence in the police investigation and that the "totality of the circumstances" justified bringing charges.

Iverson has won three scoring titles and led Philadelphia to the 2001 NBA Finals. But his career has been dogged by controversy on and off the court.

Raised in the projects of Hampton, Va., Iverson spent four months in prison in 1993 for his role in a bowling alley brawl before then-Gov. Douglas Wilder granted clemency and the conviction was eventually overturned.

In 1997, Iverson was sentenced to 100 hours of community service, two years of drug testing and three years probation after pleading no contest to a weapons charge.

Controversial lyrics degrading women and homosexuals on a rap album that he never released brought Iverson more negative publicity in 2000. At the same time he was embroiled in a public dispute with his coach, Larry Brown.

All the while Iverson's fearless play and hip-hop style--he favors tattoos, cornrows, jewelry and baggy clothes--have endeared him to a younger generation of fans the NBA covets. His Sixers jersey is the NBA's top seller, according to the league office.

The 76ers held a news conference at which Brown and general manager Billy King supported Iverson.

King declined to speculate on ramifications of the case and reminded reporters that Iverson is innocent until proved guilty.

Brown said he had spoken with Iverson on Thursday.

"We want to be supportive of him," Brown said. "He's a teammate and a friend. We want to get this resolved the right way."

Ed Snider, chairman and chief executive officer of Comcast-Spectacor, which owns the Sixers, also addressed the incident.

"I am very worried about Allen Iverson, but that is all I am going to say right now," Snider said. "I have not talked to him."

Iverson's uncle, Gregory Iverson, allegedly accompanied his nephew to look for Iverson's wife and Shaun Bowman, Iverson's cousin, in the early-morning hours of July 3. Gregory Iverson also faces multiple charges, including three felony counts.

Charles Jones, a roommate of Iverson's cousin, told police Iverson barged into his apartment with a gun and demanded to know the whereabouts of his wife. Jones said Iverson and his uncle threatened him and another man who was sleeping at the residence. Bowman was not present.

The Inquirer reported that Iverson had a gun in his waistband and said: "Somebody's going to die tonight and it's not going to be me."

Neither Iverson nor his wife has commented on the incident. They were seen unloading groceries and playing basketball with their children outside their mansion Wednesday night.

Jones, 21, detailed his version of events in a 911 call made at 1:30 p.m., roughly 10 hours after the alleged incident. Jones told the dispatcher that Iverson and his wife had been fighting and that Iverson had kicked her out of their house naked.

The Inquirer's copy of the tape reveals an irate Iverson.

"He was like, `Where my [expletive] wife at?' Cussing at me, going off--`You got to tell me where she's at or something's going to happen,'" Jones told the dispatcher. "He had a gun on his hip. He was sitting there threatening to shoot me."

Iverson left Bowman's residence and searched for Tawanna at a nearby hotel, which she had checked into on July 1.

Philadelphia police spent Thursday searching the homes of Iverson and his uncle for evidence, in particular the gun he was said to be carrying. They also impounded his Cadillac Escalade.

Police said Iverson has no gun permit, nor does he have a gun registered in Pennsylvania.

On the Sixers' Web site, a link promoting Iverson's celebrity softball game for charity on July 19-20 has yet to be removed.